As the Báb’s fame was being gradually diffused over the entire city of Isfáhán, an unceasing stream of visitors flowed from every quarter to the house of the Imám-Jum’ih: a few to satisfy their curiosity, others to obtain a deeper understanding of the fundamental verities of His Faith, and still others to seek the remedy for their ills and sufferings.
- Nabil (‘The Dawn-Breakers’, chapter 10)
One night, after supper, the Imám-Jum’ih, whose curiosity had been excited by the extraordinary traits of character which his youthful Guest had revealed, ventured to request Him to reveal a commentary on the Súrih of Va’l-‘Asr. His request was readily granted. Calling for pen and paper, the Báb, with astonishing rapidity and without the least premeditation, began to reveal, in the presence of His host, a most illuminating interpretation of the aforementioned Súrih. It was nearing midnight when the Báb found Himself engaged in the exposition of the manifold implications involved in the first letter of that Súrih. That letter, the letter ‘váv’ upon which Shaykh Ahmad-i-Ahsá’í had already laid such emphasis in his writings, symbolised for the Báb the advent of a new cycle of Divine Revelation, and has since been alluded to by Bahá’u’lláh in the “Kitab-i-Aqdas” in such passages as “the mastery of the Great Reversal” and “the Sign of the Sovereign.” The Báb soon after began to chant, in the presence of His host and his companions, the homily with which He had prefaced His commentary on the Súrih. Those words of power confounded His hearers with wonder. They seemed as if bewitched by the magic of His voice. Instinctively they started to their feet and, together with the Imám-Jum’ih, reverently kissed the hem of His garment. Mullá Muḥammad-Taqíy-i-Haratí, an eminent mujtahid, broke out into a sudden expression of exultation and praise. “Peerless and unique,” he exclaimed, “as are the words which have streamed from this pen, to be able to reveal, within so short a time and in so legible a writing, so great a number of verses as to equal a fourth, nay a third, of the Qur’án, is in itself an achievement such as no mortal, without the intervention of God, could hope to perform. Neither the cleaving of the moon nor the quickening of the pebbles of the sea can compare with so mighty an act.”
- Nabil (‘The Dawn-Breakers’, chapter 10)
The Imám-Jum’ih himself had, from the very first night, become so enamoured with Him who was the object of such devotion, that, assuming the functions of an attendant, he undertook to minister to the needs and wants of his beloved Guest. Seizing the ewer from the hand of the chief steward and utterly ignoring the customary dignity of his rank, he proceeded to pour out the water over the hands of the Báb.
- Nabil (‘The Dawn-Breakers’, chapter 10)
Such were the honours accorded to the Báb in those days that when, on a certain Friday, He was returning from the public bath to the house, a multitude of people were seen eagerly clamouring for the water which He had used for His ablutions. His fervent admirers firmly believed in its unfailng virtue and power to heal their sicknesses and ailments.
- Nabil (‘The Dawn-Breakers’, chapter 10)
According to Mírzá Abu’l-Fadl (manuscript, p. 66), the name of the Imám-Jum’ih of Isfáhán was Mír Siyyid Muhammad, and his title “Suitánu’l-‘Ulamá’.” “The office of Sadru’s-Sudur, or chief priest of Safaví times, was abolished by Nadir Sháh, and the Imám-Jum’ih of Isfáhán is now the principal ecclesiastical dignitary of Persia.”
- C. R. Markham’s (“A General Sketch of the History of Persia,” p. 365.; Footnotes to chapter 10 of ‘The Dawn-Breakers provided by Shoghi Effendi)
The letter, which He [the Báb] entrusted to Siyyid Kázim, [to be delivered to the governor] was expressive of such courtesy and revealed such exquisite penmanship that the Mu’tamíd was moved to instruct the Sulṭánu’l-‘Ulamá, the Imám-Jum’ih of Isfáhán, the foremost ecclesiastical authority of that province, to receive the Báb in his own home and to accord Him a kindly and generous reception. In addition to his message, the governor sent the Imám-Jum’ih the letter he had received from the Báb. The Sulṭánu’l-‘Ulamá accordingly bade his own brother, whose savage cruelty in later years earned him the appellation of Raqsha’ from Bahá’u’lláh, to proceed with a number of his favourite companions to meet and escort the expected Visitor to the gate of the city. As the Báb approached, the Imám-Jum’ih went out to welcome Him in person, and conducted Him ceremoniously to his house
- Nabil (‘The Dawn-Breakers’, chapter 10)
- C. R. Markham’s (“A General Sketch of the History of Persia,” p. 487: Footnotes to chapter 10 of ‘The Dawn-Breakers provided by Shoghi Effendi)
As He [the Báb] approached the outskirts of the city, He wrote a letter to the governor of the province, Manúchihr Khán, the Mu’tamídu’d-Dawlih, in which He requested him to signify his wish as to the place where He could dwell.
- Nabil (‘The Dawn-Breakers’, chapter 10)
The summer of the year 1262 A.H. [1846 A.D] was drawing to a close when the Báb bade His last farewell to His native city of Shíráz, and proceeded to Isfáhán. Siyyid Kázim-i-Zanjání accompanied Him on that journey.
- Nabil (‘The Dawn-Breakers’, chapter 10)
The Báb, who was staying at the home of ‘Abdu’l-Hamíd Khán, sent Siyyid Kázim to request Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí to come and see Him. He informed His uncle of His intended departure from Shíráz, entrusted both His mother and His wife to his care, and charged him to convey to each the expression of His affection and the assurance of God’s unfailing assistance. “Wherever they may be,” He told His uncle, as He bade him farewell, “God’s all-encompassing love and protection will surround them. I will again meet you amid the mountains of Ádhirbayján, from whence I will send you forth to obtain the crown of martyrdom. I Myself will follow you, together with one of My loyal disciples, and will join you in the realm of eternity.”
- Nabil (‘The Dawn-Breakers’, chapter 9)
As soon as an account of these happenings reached Tihrán and was brought to the attention of the Sháh, an imperial edict dismissing Husayn Khán from office was issued and sent to Shíráz. From the day of his dismissal, that shameless tyrant fell a victim to countless misfortunes, and was in the end unable to earn even his daily bread. No one seemed willing or able to save him from his evil plight. When, at a later time, Bahá’u’lláh had been banished to Baghdád, Husayn Khán sent Him a letter in which he expressed repentance and promised to atone for his past misdeeds on condition that he should regain his former position. Bahá’u’lláh refused to answer him. Sunk in misery and shame, he languished until his death.
- Nabil (‘The Dawn-Breakers’, chapter 9)
No sooner had ‘Abdu’l-Ḥamíd Khán witnessed the signs of the recovery of his son than he wrote a letter to the governor in which he acquainted him with the whole situation and begged him to cease his attacks on the Báb. “Have pity on yourself,” he wrote him, “as well as on those whom Providence has committed to your care. Should the fury of this plague continue its fatal course, no one in this city, I fear, will by the end of this day have survived the horror of its attack.” Husayn Khán replied that the Báb should be immediately released and given freedom to go wherever He might please. [1]
- Nabil (‘The Dawn-Breakers’, chapter 9)
[1] According to “A Traveller’s Narrative” (p. 11), “Husayn
Khán released the Báb on condition of his quitting the city; footnote provided
by Shoghi Effendi.
‘Abdu’l-Hamíd Khán decided to conduct the Báb to his own home and keep Him in his custody pending instructions from the governor. As he was approaching his house, he was struck by the sound of weeping and wailing of the members of his household. His son had been attacked by the plague and was hovering on the brink of death. In his despair, he threw himself at the feet of the Báb and tearfully implored Him to save the life of his son. He begged Him to forgive his past transgressions and misdeeds. “I adjure you,” he entreated the Báb as he clung to the hem of His garment, “by Him who has elevated you to this exalted position, to intercede in my behalf and to offer a prayer for the recovery of my son. Suffer not that he, in the prime of youth, be taken away from me. Punish him not for the guilt which his father has committed. I repent of what I have done, and at this moment resign my post. I solemnly pledge my word that never again will I accept such a position even though I perish of hunger.”
The Báb, who was in the act of performing His ablutions and was preparing to offer the prayer of dawn, directed him to take some of the water with which He was washing His face to his son and request him to drink it. This He said would save his life.
- Nabil (‘The Dawn-Breakers’, chapter 9)
The Báb refers to this incident in the “Dalá’il-i-Sab‘ih” in the following terms: “Recall the first days of the Manifestation, how many people died of cholera! That was one of the wonders of the Manifestation yet no one understood it. During four years the scourge raged among the Muhammadan Shí’ites without anyone grasping its true significance.”
(“Le Livre des Sept Preuves,” translated by A. L. M. Nicolas, pp. 61–62; Footnotes to chapter 9 included by Shoghi Effendi)
 |
| Bagh-i-Takht, circa 1900 |
‘Abdu’l-Hamíd Khán, terrified by this dreadful intelligence, ran to the home of Husayn Khán. An old man who guarded his house and was acting as door-keeper informed him that the house of his master was deserted, that the ravages of the pestilence had devastated his home and afflicted the members of his household. “Two of his Ethiopian maids,” he was told, “and a man-servant have already fallen victims to this scourge, and members of his own family are now dangerously ill. In his despair, my master has abandoned his home and, leaving the dead unburied, has fled with the rest of his family to the Bagh-i-Takht.” [a garden in the outskirts of Shíráz]
- Nabil (Chapter 9, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)
That very moment, the governor summoned ‘Abdu’l-Hamíd Khán, the chief constable of the city. “Proceed immediately,” he commanded him, “to the house of Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí. Quietly and unobserved, scale the wall and ascend to the roof, and from there suddenly enter his home. Arrest the Siyyid-i-Báb immediately, and conduct him to this place together with any of the visitors who may be present with him at that time. Confiscate whatever books and documents you are able to find in that house. As to Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí, it is my intention to impose upon him, the following day, the penalty for having failed to redeem his promise. I swear by the imperial diadem of Muhammad Sháh that this very night I shall have the Siyyid-i-Báb executed together with his wretched companions. Their ignominious death will quench the flame they have kindled, and will awaken every would-be follower of that creed to the danger that awaits every disturber of the peace of this realm. By this act I shall have extirpated a heresy the continuance of which constitutes the gravest menace to the interests of the State.”
- Nabil (‘The Dawn-Breakers’, chapter 9)
One night there came to Husayn Khán the chief of his emissaries with the report that the number of those who were crowding to see the Báb had assumed such proportions as to necessitate immediate action on the part of those whose function it was to guard the security of the city. “The eager crowd that gathers every night to visit the Báb,” he remarked, “surpasses in number the multitude of people that throngs every day before the gates of the seat of your government. Among them are to be seen men celebrated alike for their exalted rank and extensive learning. Such are the tact and lavish generosity which his maternal uncle displays in his attitude towards the officials of your government that no one among your subordinates is inclined to acquaint you with the reality of the situation. If you would permit me, I will, with the aid of a number of your attendants, surprise the Báb at the hour of midnight and will deliver, handcuffed, into your hands certain of his associates who will enlighten you concerning his activities, and who will confirm the truth of my statements.” Husayn Khán refused to comply with his wish. “I can tell better than you,” was his answer, “what the interests of the State require. Watch me from a distance; I shall know how to deal with him.”
- Nabil (Chapter 9, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)
“Extremely irritated, discontented and worried, the Mullás of Fárs, unable to foresee the heights that popular indignation against them might reach were not the only ones to be perplexed. The authorities of the town and of the province understood only too well that the people, who were under their care but who were never very much under their control, this time were quite independent of it. The men of Shíráz, superficial, mockers, noisome, quarrelsome, rebellious, insolent in the extreme, perfectly indifferent toward the Qájár dynasty, were never easy to govern and their administrators often passed wearisome days. What then would be the position of these administrators if the real chief of the city and of the country, the arbiter of their thoughts, their idol, were to be a young man who, undaunted, with no ties whatsoever, and no love of personal gain, made a pedestal of his independence and took advantage of it by impudently and publicly attacking every day all that which, until now, had been considered as strong and respected in the city?
“In truth, the court, the government and its policies had not as yet been the object of any of the violent denunciations of the Innovator, but, in view of the fact that he was so rigid in his habits, so unrelenting against intellectual dishonesty and the plundering practices of the clergy, it was unlikely that he would approve the same rapaciousness so flagrant in the public officials. One could well believe that the day when they would fall under his scrutiny, he would not fail to see and violently condemn the abuses which could no longer be concealed.”
- Comte de Gobineau’s (“Les Religions et les Philosophies dans l’Asie Centrale,” pp. 122–123.; Footnotes to chapter 9 included by Shoghi Effendi)
“Meanwhile the turmoil, the intense discussions, the scandal continued in Shíráz, so much so that, annoyed by all this uproar and fearful of the outcome, Hájí Mírzá Aqásí ordered Husayn Khán Nizámu’d-Dawlih to be done with the Reformer and to have him killed immediately and secretly.”
- A. L. M. Nicolas (“Siyyid ‘Alí-Muhammad dit le Báb,” p. 235.; Footnotes to chapter 9 included by Shoghi Effendi)
Meanwhile Husayn Khán, the governor of Fárs, was bending every effort to involve the Báb in fresh embarrassments and to degrade Him still further in the eyes of the public. The smouldering fire of his hostility was fanned to flame by the knowledge that the Báb was allowed to pursue unmolested the course of His activities, that He was still able to associate with certain of His companions, and that He continued to enjoy the benefits of unrestrained fellowship with His family and kindred. By the aid of his secret agents, he succeeded in obtaining accurate information regarding the character and influence of the Movement which the Báb had initiated. He had secretly watched His movements, ascertained the degree of enthusiasm which He had aroused, and scrutinised the motives, the conduct, and the number of those who had embraced His Cause.
- Nabil (Chapter 9, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)
He [the Báb] bade those of His disciples who had settled in Shíráz, among whom were Mullá ‘Abdu’l-Karím and Shaykh Hasan-i-Zunúzí, to proceed to Iṣfáhán and there await His further instructions. Siyyid Ḥusayn-i-Yazdí, one of the Letters of the Living, who had recently arrived at Shíráz, was likewise instructed to proceed to Isfáhán and to join the company of his fellow-disciples in that city.
- Nabil (Chapter 9, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)
After the Báb had settled the affairs of His household and
provided for the future maintenance of both His mother and His wife, He
transferred His residence from His own home to that of Hájí Mírzá Siyyid ‘Alí.
There He awaited the approaching hour of His sufferings. He knew that the
afflictions which were in store for Him could no longer be delayed, that He was
soon to be caught in a whirlwind of adversity which would carry Him swiftly to
the field of martyrdom, the crowning object of His life. 
Interior of Haji Mirza Siyyid Ali's
House in Shiraz
- Nabil (Chapter 9, ‘The Dawn-Breakers’)
